Putin in the Mercedes on the Crimean bridge: the president wants to set a symbol, but he is ridiculed online
Created: 12/08/2022 11:57 am
By: Luke Rogalla
Two months after the explosion on the Crimean bridge, Vladimir Putin shows himself again on the annexed peninsula.
What the visit means
Kerch - For the first time since the start of the Ukraine war, Vladimir Putin has been seen in Crimea.
During a PR appointment, he visited the bridge between Russia and the peninsula that was destroyed in an attack in October and annexed in violation of international law in 2014.
Russian television channels showed the president on Monday at the wheel of a Mercedes, in which he crossed the bridge on the repaired part for car traffic.
Vice Prime Minister Marat Chusnillin was in the passenger seat.
Putin on the Crimean Bridge: the importance of the visit
"We drive on the right-hand side," says Putin as he drives over the bridge.
“The left side of the bridge is functional as far as I know, but it has yet to be completed.
(...) It still suffered a little, we have to get it in an ideal condition.” Putin also walks over parts of the bridge to inspect sections that are still visibly burned.
Russian media had previously reported that car traffic on the Crimean Bridge had been reopened.
The Crimean Bridge is one of Putin's flagship projects and "symbolizes that Crimea is not a peninsula but part of Russian land," Russian lawyer and activist Mark Feygin told
Stern
.
With a length of 19 kilometers and construction costs of around three billion euros, the opening in 2018 was celebrated with a great deal, including a live broadcast on television.
Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, drives a Mercedes on the repaired Crimean Bridge.
What does the visit mean?
© Russian President Press Office/Imago
"For Putin, his presence on the Crimean Bridge means the end of a chapter in the Ukraine war," says political scientist Mikhail Komin in an interview with the independent TV channel Dozhd.
"He wants to show that everything that Ukraine possibly wanted to achieve has not been achieved." Almost at the same time, bombs fell on Ukraine again - "that was no coincidence," says Komin.
"It was important to show that there was a connection." The Kremlin openly admits that the attacks on civilian infrastructure were revenge for the explosion on the Crimean bridge.
Ukraine war: when will Putin visit the front?
Since the beginning of the war, however, Putin has not ventured further than Crimea.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had repeatedly announced that Putin would visit the front in Donbass, which was also annexed.
Many well-known politicians have already made an appearance in Ukraine – only not the President.
This is mainly due to his protection service FSO.
"We know that Putin has a very great weakness for symbolism,"
Stern
quoted Komin as saying.
But during such a visit, you have to make sure that "no rocket flies that far and no assassin gets that far".
The FSO must first eliminate all risks that could threaten Putin.
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Until then, Putin would have no choice but to present himself while driving in an armored Mercedes.
"If the whole procedure had been left to the presidential administration, it would have been far more patriotic," says Komin.
Putin can no longer sell his people an ideal.
Journalists and other users made fun of the choice of vehicle on Twitter: The President drove a German car.
According to Peskow simply because it was available at the time.
When the Crimean Bridge opened, Putin was still driving a Russian truck.
Putin's visit to Crimea: Russia's state TV enthusiastic
Despite the rather unimpressive and hardly patriotic visit to Crimea, Russian state television was enthusiastic.
The "60 Minutes" program began with an "important message" and "exclusive footage" of Putin's journey.
After the terrorist attack carried out by the "Kiev regime", the President "personally inspected" the Crimean bridge.
In the early morning of October 8, an explosion destroyed parts of the Crimean Bridge.
Three people were killed.
Russian authorities blame Ukraine for the explosion, Moscow spoke of "terror".
Kyiv left open whether one was involved in the explosion.
(lrg/dpa/afp)
